By Keith Loria
As a youngster growing up in Mooresville, North Carolina, the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center meant a great deal to Jeremiah Alsop, as seeing Cats at the Belk Theater was the catalyst for his wanting to pursue acting professionally.
“I had seen Cats on an old VHS tape when my mom won tickets on the radio to see the opening of the tour in Charlotte in 2001, and that was my first theater experience,” he said. “I just thought we were going to see a movie, but I just fell in love with it and decided I wanted to do shows and be in Cats one day.”
Once back home, Alsop started doing some local theater and school productions, with his first time on stage being as part of a holiday show (playing an orphan) just two months after seeing Cats.
“I’m really lucky that Mooresville community theatre was so strong,” he said. “When I was old enough to drive, I would go to Davidson and Charlotte for auditions and was a part of Teen City Stage and Teen Broadway and really took on any opportunity.”
Now, Alsop is thrilled to be coming back to the Belk—his first time ever as a performer—as part of the sensational cast of the touring production of Les Misérables.
Reconnecting With Friends
“There are about 30 people up and down [Interstate] 77 who will be coming to see me, so that will be a lot of fun,” he said. “I’m looking forward to going to Duckworth’s. I grew up doing theatre with Rob Duckworth’s daughter Cameron who is also still performing and a good friend of mine. They have a few locations and one is right downtown by the theatre.”
His first audition for Les Mis was more than two years ago, and Alsop had just finished the out-of-town tryout for The Who’s Tommy, which was on its way to Broadway.
“I did three days of auditions and didn’t hear anything and assumed I would not hear from them again, so I moved to New York and did Tommy on Broadway,” Alsop said. “We ran about six months, and the day after the show closed, I had another audition for Les Mis.”
But being as he spent the night before celebrating into the wee hours with his cast, he wasn’t expecting anything to come of it, especially after the first audition seemingly went nowhere.
“I was in and out in 15 minutes and really just let it leave my brain,” he said. “A week later, I got a call asking if I could be in Canada the next day because I had gotten in and they needed me right away. That was kind of nuts.”
Learning to Love Theatre
After talking to his partner about the opportunity, especially since he was all set to move back to Chicago to be with him, they decided it was something he had to take advantage of.
“I had seen the movie when it came out and I did the school version of the show in high school, playing Enjolras,” Alsop said. “But that cuts it down from a three-hour show to barely a two-hour show, so there was a lot I wasn’t familiar with. I didn’t realize until I got to Canada that there were big pieces and songs that I didn’t know.”
Alsop is part of the ensemble, playing Montparnasse, who is a young, yet hardened criminal who is a member of the Patron-Minette gang of bandits.
“I have a scar on my face and always have my little switchblade,” he said. “I also double as a student in the barricade, and I understudy Marius, which is awesome because that used to be a dream role of mine, and I never thought I would get to do it.”
Even though he always dreamed of being part of a national tour, especially since he saw so many roll through Charlotte, Alsop admits that being on tour is a lot harder than he thought it would be.
“I always thought it would be great to get paid to travel and do this thing I love to do, but it’s really tough because you’re moving every week or two and living out of a suitcase and I never anticipated having someone at love at home that I had to leave,” he said. “But it’s worth it when I remember what the show means to people. For a lot of people, this is their only chance to see theatre and the only time they can see this show. There could be a kid there who was like me and will learn to love theatre.”
Cast Credits (In Order of Appearance)
Jeremiah Alsop plays multiple roles in Les Misérables, including:
- The Bishop of Digne (shared with Jonathan Young)
- Montparnasse, a member of Thénardier’s Gang
- A student in the barricade
- Understudy for Marius
Photos by Matthew Murphy
